Fountain pen cleaner



FOUNTAIN PEN CLEANER Filed March 15, 1954 30 22 2g 45 ogmmvroks.

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United States Patent FOUNTAIN PEN CLEANER John D. Gray, Evanston, and Walter Dian, Downers Grove, Ill.

Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,106 3 Claims. or. 34-58) This invention relates to a centrifuge for removing ink from a fountain pen. More particularly, this invention relates to a manually driven centrifuge having a tray for holding outwardly the point of a fountain pen. More generally, the invention relates to certain structural features of a vertically rotatable post to which may he attached various elements which upon rotation of the post perform some function pursuant to centrifugal force.

Examining applicants invention as directed to a device for removing ink from fountain pens, their primary object is to withdraw ink from a new type of fountain pen in which the ink is drawn into the pen by capillary action and no means is provided for expelling the ink. In the hands of a user, this is desirable because a user has no occasion for removing the ink from a fountain pen. One of the selling features of the fountain pen, however, is its large ink capacity. This requires demonstration. These pens, when filled, cannot be emptied, with the result that a clerk in a store has no way of demonstrating to a potential purchaser how much ink the pen holds. The pen is opaque. A feature of this invention is the provision of a horizontally disposed, pen-holding tray which may be spun on a vertical axis, whereby the ink is centrifuged out of the pen.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a means for holding the pen which makes it possible to insert and withdraw the pen with a minimum of effort and time. A feature of the invention is an upwardly open rotatable tray into which the hand has ready access.

Another specific object of the invention relates to keeping the pen clean and confining the expelled ink to the device. One feature of the device is the provision of a vertical side wall on the pen-holding tray which keeps the hands from accidentally touching the inside surface of the bowl against which the ink is thrown. A second feature of the invention is the provision of a concave surface on the inside of the bowl which catches the expelled ink and directs it downwardly. A third feature is the provision of a blotting pad in the bottom of the bowl to absorb ink.

Referring now to applicants general object with respect to the construction of the centrifuge, they seek to provide a rotatable, vertical post which is manually operable, easily constructed, and durable, and upon which can be easily mounted elements for performing various functions, where a centrifuge having a variable speed can be used. Thus, doctors frequently wish to separate the components of blood by weight. This can be done by filling a test tube with blood and rotating it around a vertical axis while moving the tube into a horizontal position. The components of the blood separate in the test tube, the heaviest components being outermost. Then again, the horizontal floor of an ash tray may be mounted on the post. Upon rotation, the ashes will be thrown outwardly and dropped into a bowl below.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a post pivotally mounted on ball bearings in a block or ring which seats in a fixed base or frame and which is ro- ICC tated by a spirally wound bar or worm having a knob on top. The drive structure resembles that of the old singing top. The ball bearing mounting holds the post erect when the hand is taken off the driving knob. Any of a plurality of devices can be mounted on the post so that a desired centrifugal function may be obtained.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the'fountain pen cleaner; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the fountain pen cleaner; and,

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Continuing to refer to the drawings, the numeral 10 identifies a bowl made of metal or plastic which has a concave surface 12 as viewed in vertical cross section with a cylindrical upper edge 14 over which is removably mounted a lid 16 having a large central opening 18. Affixed centrally of the inside flat bottom 20 of the bowl is a metallic block 22 having a small deep recess 24 inwardly of a larger cylindrical recess 26. The bottom 20 of the bowl 10 is covered by a protective pad of rubber or other suitable material 28. Mounted around the post 22 is a removable ring pad 30 composed of suitable absorbent material such as ordinary blotting paper. This pad is one-quarter to one-half inch thick.

Continuing to refer to Fig. 2, the post comprises an outer tube 32 carrying an upper threaded closure member 34 and a lower closure member 36. Centrally of the two closure members 34 and 36 are holes in which is press fitted an inner tube 38. To the bottom of the lower closure member 36 is rigidly fastened by any suitable means a circular tray 40 having a flat bottom 42 and a cylindrical, upwardly directed rim 44. Press fitted on the lower end of the inner tube 38 at 46 is the hub 48 of a standard ball bearing ring 50. In the cylindrical rim 44, 180 apart, are two holes 52 and 54 in which are mounted rubber collars such as 56. A rubber collar 57 positioned around the base of the post 32 protects the fountain pen from being marred. The upper surface of the closure member 34 carries a circular wale 58. Through this wale are cut on 90 centers, four slots 60, 62, 64 and 66, referirng to Fig. 3. The clockwise edge such as 68 of each of these slots lies in a plane parallel to the axis of the inner tube 38, while the counter-clockwise edge such as 70 of each of these slots is beveled.

The driving element of this centrifuge consists of a spirally twisted flat rod 72, referring to Fig. 2, on the upper end of which is rigidly mounted a knob 74. In assembling this drive rod, a spring 76 is first slipped over the spiral member 72 followed by a cap 78. The cap 78 is recessed to a depth such that when the cap is drawn tightly down on the closure member 34, a flat drive element or key 80 having side surfaces 82 and 84 at right angles with its fiat surface, can ride on the unslotted portions of the wale 58. Tha is, there is a small chamber 86 above the wale 58. 'The outer surface of this cap 78, particularly the circular edge 88, is highly polished so that the fiingers can press against it and brake the centrifuge.

The ink expeller is operated as follows: A fountain pen (two pens may be mounted in the tray at once) is placed in the tray at position 90, see Fig. 1. The knob 74 is raised and pressed down sharply. As the spiral bar 72 passes through the rectangular slot 81 of piece 80, it rotates the piece 80 in a clockwise direction. Gravity holds the piece 80 downwardly on the wale 58 and because the piece 80 is narrower than the width of the slots such as 66, the edge of the piece 80 engages the sharp edge such as 68 of a slot and rotates the post 32. When downward movement of the knob 74 stops, the piece 80 is held still, but it does not affect continued rotation of edges such as 70 of the wale 58. A single fast downward movement of the knob 74 'is sufficient to rotate the tray 44 at several hundred R. P. M. The ink is ejected from the pen almost instantaneously. The fingers depend over the knob so as to engage the cap 78 and stop the rotation by friction.

'Referring to Fig. 2, the ink is expelled in a line along the arrow 92, engaging the concaveportion of the bowl 10. The ink runs down into the bowl and thence into the blotter. V

The diameter of the pen-holding tray 40 is about five inches so that one can easily insert one or two pens and quickly withdraw them. The entire operation is a matter of seconds.

No ink accumulates on any part of the pen for no ink escapes from the bowl. When the blotter becomes saturated with ink, it may be replaced by removing the lid 16. The pen-holding tray 40 cannot be removed from the bowl without first removing the lid 16.

Applicants have several applications for this centrifuge construction. In all cases, there is a 'base which supports the block 22, andthere is a ring bearing having its hub rigidly fastened to a central post 32 with its outer edge snugly but removably seated in a recess such as 26. The pen-holding tray is replaced by devices having centrically mounted in said bowl, means associated there- 'with for rotatingsaid member, a circular tray mounted on said rotatable member below the circular rim, a circumferential, upwardly extending, sidewall on said tray having a rim near-the rim of the bowl, and an opening in said side wall through which may be passed the point end of a fountain pen. a

2. A centrifuge for removing ink from a fountain pen comprising an upwardly open bowl, a removable lid mounted on said bowl, a comparatively large circular opening in said lid, a member rotatable on a vertical axis mounted in said bowl concentrically with respect to the opening in the lid, a removable circular traymounted on said rotatable member, said tray having a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening in the lid, a .circumferential upwardly extending side wall on said tray,

and an opening in said side wall through which the point end of a fountain penmay be passed and at' a level above the bottom of the tray such that the'fountain pen other purposes. Thus, inthe case of a blood centrifuge,

there will be'pivotally mounted on the post 32 a pair of test tubes which can swing from a vertical filling position into a horizontal'position under the action of centrifugal force.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A centrifuge for removing ink from a fountain pen comprising an upwardly open bowl having an inwardly circular rim, a member rotatable on a vertical axis conwill lie in a substantially horizontal position.

3. The centrifuge of claim 2 together with a liquidabsorbent pad having an annular plan configuration and positioned around the rotatable member in the bottom of the bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,839,944 Barthels Jan. 5, 1932 2,213,915 Katz Sept. 3, 1940 2,569,690 Ressinger Oct. 2,1951

2,628,431 Chapman, Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 743,906 France Apr. 8, 1933 

